paper doll logic
by nukefree
Summary: Spenser Academy welcomes the financially-challenged Astrid Thomas, and upon first inspection, she’s an average soul. Yet, following further scrutiny, she’s hiding a dark past, and an even darker secret. Tyler/OC
1. Prelude

**Paper Doll Logic**

Summary: Spenser Academy welcomes the financially-challenged Astrid Thomas, and upon first inspection, she's an average soul. Yet, following further scrutiny, she's hiding a dark past, and an even darker secret. Tyler/OC

_Authors Note:__ So I rewatched the Covenant today, one of the perks of breaking your foot XD Anyways, eventually, this story eased its way into my conscience, so here I am tapping away. I decided I may as well put up this, see how it runs. I may as well declare that I own nothing beside Astrid, she's my own work of art. So without further ado, I present you with--_

**Paper Doll Logic**

Prelude

They'd always warned me that I'd end up like this...I just never considered that they'd be right.

I wrinkled my nose, sliding my scuffed toes against the bridge railing. I glanced up. Only few things were visible in this dim dusk; the water below, churning restlessly; the fireflies that dotted the air around me like beacons of false hope; and the moon above, illuminating little of the night.

It had to be past two by now. Happy birthday tough guy.

My cheeks stung as the wind whipped against me, adding to my faltering balance. The tear tracks that stained my face hardened in the icy cold.

I should have been running. In fact, I should have been on the other side of the country by now. But no, I was paralysed. My feet were rooted to this very spot. They, those who had created this entire problem in the first place...they were coming. They were coming to kill me. I should have been preparing, doing what I'd been brought up doing...Not standing here in mourning. I should have been using what he taught me to do.

Yet, despite all of this, all that ran through my head was something that he had told me months ago. _Sometimes the ones you love, the ones you thought you could trust, will turn around and stab you right in the heart_.

I had stabbed him in the heart, with no warning. A jagged piece of glass had slowly slid into his chest as I'd walked away. How was I supposed to live with that? Then it finally dawned on me. _I wasn't_. A single tear slid down my face as I leant forward and fell.

_End Note:__ So that was the Prologue, and don't worry, that's no where as long as the chapters will be. I hoped you enjoyed it, and you'll take your type to rate and give feedback and reviews. _

_neenah_


	2. Blind Introductions

**Paper Doll Logic**

Summary: Spenser Academy welcomes the financially-challenged Astrid Thomas, and upon first inspection, she's an average soul. Yet, following further scrutiny, she's hiding a dark past, and an even darker secret. Tyler/OC

_Authors Note:__ The Prelude wasn't much at all, and a few of you reviewed, which, was nice, so I decided to put up the first chapter._

**Paper Doll Logic**

1. Blind Introductions

Do you know what I hate about goodbyes? With me, no one gets teary, no one hangs on too long when they've executed the poignant embrace, no one turns to me and says 'Hey kid, I'm gonna miss you'. Sure, with some rich arrogant socialite, sure, you'd expect it. But what if you're practically in poverty, morally sound, and despite the well, _atypical_ qualities, a virtually normal person? What do you do when your family leaves you as quickly as possible, a couple quick pecks on the cheek, and a whole platoon of salutes? I wasn't sure how to react. All I had was a one-way ticket to my new school, the cash in my pocket, and everything I owned in my duffle bag. Nothing extravagant. No private plane. No private airport. Not even a first class seat. Coach. Squeezed between McDonald's greatest customer and a puny Gameboy. Oh yeah. I was loving independence. Even when every passenger was snoozing--with the slight exceptions of an uptight businessman, and a motion-sickness-aware teenager--I was wide awake. I didn't even want to pretend as though I were sleeping, I couldn't shut my eyes. Since my thirteenth birthday, and everything that followed that, I don't think I'd ever wanted my parents more. Not the friendly adoptive couple, but rather, the biological pair that vanished the moment I popped out. That didn't care whether or not I was informed of who I was, what I was. Who didn't care what I could do.

That was probably why Dad was shipping me off, why he'd bombarded me with flyers to boarding school. My bag. The crisper. The vacuum bag. The coffee pot. My soccer boots. He had been so keen on a boarding school, that I hadn't had any say in it. I'd just had to point and shoot. Surely, he couldn't have been that disappointed in me. It wasn't even my fault. A spotless slate for several months, not even one mistake, a record like no other. He can't just expect me to live like that. I hadn't even wanted to. It was just a reflex. Self-protection. But it was my fault. The wrong pulse hitting the lighter. I didn't pull it away. I tensed. Why was I such a failure?

If the whole accidental kill wasn't enough, my power had been on the fritz lately. I couldn't even lift a copy of Emma. I hadn't done anything for months. Not since, not since I decided that being me wasn't worth losing those you care about the most.

I missed my bus. Fantastic. So I had to walk all the way to Spenser Academy. I was lucky that I wasn't some priss, or that would've been quite a trek. All the same, I couldn't have shown my poverty more if I'd rocked up in a sack-dress. Filthy jeans, tattered Converse, baggy soccer jersey, with a hunting hat and the worst luggage a girl could want. If it wasn't for the long hair, I reckon people would've assumed I was a guy. I slowed my stride, the school coming up ahead. Great. I probably wouldn't fit in. Even if I knew half of the student body.

#

I wrinkled my nose, realigning my duffle bag on my shoulder. I should've waited until it was dark, so I could do the whole cat burglar thing and sneak past the wasted students. I would've avoided the stares if I'd done that. They sure weren't friendly, I could tell you that. And most of the girls were already coming off as ostentatious rich whoresses. Just my luck. Old family money stowed away so I could be put into a good school. Why in _America_ of all places? What was wrong with Sydney, huh? That was what I couldn't understand. I cocked my head, eyes sweeping the door numbers. Finally, two-three-nine loomed into view. Thank freaking God. I'd been walking for hours; I just wanted to crash and smoulder.

Lifting my schedule, amongst other papers that I'd received from the front office, into my mouth, and biting down on it to hold it there, I fished my key out of my pocket. A resounding click echoed through the door, and I bumped the entryway open with my hip, shouldering my way in. I pealed my hunting cap from my head, ruffling my unruly hair. I kicked off my shoes, watching them disappear under the empty bed. I padded across the floor, the baggy toes of my socks flapping. The room itself was more extravagant than any place I'd ever lived. Its elegant aspects were tainted, given that the room seemed to be divided in two--I suspected it was because my roommate would have been instructed to shovel all of her crap onto one side. Clothes were draped over strings in various places, some scattered on the floor. There were other things, all sorts of oddities randomly placed and seemingly forgotten, that cluttered the desk, floor and nightstand. A pile of text books flooded from beneath her bed, like the remnants of a domino collapse. A bike, umbrellas, an easel and canvases, as well as typical rubbish; it was unbelievable. But then again, it would only get worse once I settled.\

I didn't bother to unpack, not yet. Instead, I kicked my duffle bag under the bed--a precaution in case I tripped over them later on--and tossed the hat onto the bare mattress, wandering over to the window. Just as I expected, this place was like castle grounds; an education centre, copious in its woodland, with not a hint of poverty for as far as the eye can see. I was dreading my first encounter with the happy-go-lucky folk of this place, and I was glad that clowns and balloons weren't going to be a welcoming. I'd be lucky if they didn't try to transfer me to some backwater hamlet. I turned my back on the scenery, the ostentatious elegance of it all making me sick to the stomach. My eyes locked onto the cross statue, sitting in the middle of my courtyard below.

Instantly, my mind wandered to one of the conditions of my staying here. 'No powers, period'. It was going to be one of the most difficult things I'd ever attempt, seeing as I'd had to deal with their presence all by myself, since their first tasting, roughly five years ago.

The mere thought of being normal put me at unease. I'd never experienced such a thing. I had to admit that I'd gotten a little lazy over the years, not having to walk over to the bookshelf or to the fridge, able to give myself that extra boost to win a race; it was irresponsible, and I'm sure with consequence, but I couldn't help it. All the same, I knew it had to be done, and I was going to do it. No powers, period.

"New meat..." the sound of a door opening came, and another girl walked in from the bathroom. She leant against the doorframe, nodding in greeting as I looked up. "I'm Erin."

"Astrid."

She crossed her arms. "You unpacked Astrid?"

"As unpacked as I'll ever be," I replied. Shrugging, I raised an indifferent brow. "Why?"

"There's a function I'm heading out to tonight," she said, drumming her fingers on the door. I lifted a solitary eyebrow. She shrugged. "Pre-school year function, that's all. It's happening out near the where the old barn burned down."

I pressed my lips firmly together, considering this as though it were a life or death situation. It couldn't hurt. I may as well familiarise myself with the insanity before I trudged off into their depths. Beside, I should make a friend, and my roommate wouldn't be a bad place to start. I rolled my eyes, conceding. "Sure, I'll swing by."

"Good," Erin smiled slightly, and she ambled across the room into her warzone. For the next hour or so, she remained silent and invisible, doing what I imagined to be picking an outfit. It was something I wasn't used to, being alone with only my thoughts to ease me. However, it did result in a rapid growth in boredom. I had planned to delay the process as much as possible, but I was given no other option but to sink down on my knees and retrieve my bag from beneath the bed.

Unpacking had been time-consuming, and to my luck, I was finishing up by the time Erin reappeared in the bathroom doorway, wearing a shirt clinging to her torso, and cutting off abruptly above her midriff, and a mini-skirt, that seemed to be more like belt than anything else. She was buttoning up the shirt, and rolled her eyes as she sighted me, ridiculously balancing on my desk as I stuck up the last of my few posters.

"So, do you own anything?"

"Uh...Sure," I mumbled. Shrugging, I hopped down from the desk. "This and that. All in the top drawer."

"Just the top drawer?"

"Yeah," I nodded. "Problem?"

"You're like no one I've ever met." She shook her head, a faint smile playing across her lips. "Just get dressed Astrid, before I leave you here to finish redecorating."

"Sure." I shrugged, looking down at my simple match of tight jeans and white t-shirt. I stuffed my hands into my pockets. "Done."

Erin smirked, shaking her head as she grabbed her handbag. "You are a strange girl, Astrid. A courageous, strange girl indeed." I cocked an eyebrow. Was that a good thing, or a bad thing? "You sure you want to deal with these rich kids?"

I wiped my hands on the backs of my jeans, raising my brows in confusion; I didn't see the big issue. "I guess I'll cope." I snatched a book from my nightstand, and tapped it softly. "Lead the way, Môn Capitan."

#

I weighed my tattered paperback wearily, wondering as to why I had brought it out with me. It'd been twilight when Erin and I had left the house, and now the world was shrouded in a blanket of darkness. Dismissing my pointless thoughts, I stared out across the scene before me. Erin had steered me to the sight, where a bonfire had been lit, and alcohol was being passed around like pass-the-parcel. I didn't really take the whole rich-kids-partying scheme all too well, so I wandered. Eventually, I stumbled across an old wooden bridge that arched over a miniature lake. It had appeared to be unstable, but seeing as I was currently sitting cross-legged on the railing, I concluded that it wasn't as unsound as I'd first thought.

My eyesight blurred slightly at the rapid change of light, and as they adjusted, I took in a world of silver glints. The sky glowed with pallid clouds, and the buzzing atmosphere about me was filled with a stable sense of serenity. I shifted on the railing, eyes falling upon the water's surface, a good five feet below me. The trick of the moonlight rocked back and forth in the reflection of the water, and the rippled surface swirled in an optical illusion. Despite all of this nature bustling about me, I was tense, unable to feel pure composure. I'd been robbed of that many years ago, the instant that I'd thrown my first foster mum across the room, an invisible force emanating from my palm.

I brushed my fingertips over my fringe, staring up at the sky above me. The trees about the lake encircled the area, their nearly bare tops reaching up into the sky. A crumpled leaf broke free, and I watched as the wind guided it down to settle on the ripples. Heaving a groan, I dropped my arms, letting them rest in on the book in my lap. My fingertips drummed against the cover in succession, and boredom rapidly overcame me. I needed to do something. Anything would suffice. I glanced down at the two-dollars-at-the-petrol-station object, and wrinkled my nose in distaste. Next thing I know, I'd picked it up, and lobbed it into the lake. It penetrated the surface with a satisfying plop and immediately began to sink.

"I don't think that's the use books are meant for," a sarcastic voice stated pointedly. It was a soft voice, one atypically gripped with amusement that it caused me to twist around from my seat upon the railing. My eyes fell upon a figure, standing in the middle of the bridge, not so far away. In the scarce light, he was barely distinguishable; but the little of his white shirt visible shone out like a beacon. He took a wary step forward. "Well?" his voice took a mocking tone.

I shrugged, "It was old, and boring."

"Oh--so of course you toss it into the lake, since no one else will ever want to read some old boring book." He smirked, approaching me. I didn't know how to respond to that, therefore I subjected myself to counting the numerous fireflies that dotted the night air. In the distance, the sound of the on-going function raged on. "What are you doing out here?" he implored, and as he placed one hand on the wooden railing, a hollow thunk echoed. I turned my head, noticing the moonlight glimmering in his eyes as he gazed across the lake's surface.

"I was reading," I answered, adding sharply, "And I could ask you the same thing."

He raised his hands in defence. "Whoa, I'm sorry, did I offend you?" My silence urged him on with a sigh. "Frankly, the punch ups at these Spenser gatherings get a little old. Besides, the girls hold no promise besides intoxicated, sugar-hyped conversation."

"Melodramatic much?"

His voice reflected a frown. "I haven't seen you around before, which must mean you're new to the area. Huh. What brings you to our cosy academy, stranger?"

I rolled my eyes. "Having fun playing detective?" I felt him shrug, his shoulder brushing against my arm. "Besides, how do you know whether or not you haven't seen me. It's not as though this place is full of flood-lights or anything, and surely, you don't rule the entire academy."

He chuckled. "Something like that."

I tapped my fingers on the railing. "Alright then, your Majesty, why not just go back home to your dorm? If you don't like the party, then why are you here?"

He leant forward against the creaking fence, looking up at me sideways. "My dorm holds nothing of interest. I was planning to skip some stones, but, you appear to be more promising than that pastime."

"Thank you...?" I muttered uncertainly. Had that been a compliment or a teasing remark? I just couldn't figure it out. "Do you want me to leave?"

The boy chuckled softly, lightly nudging me with his shoulder. "Now what sort of gentleman would I be if I asked that of you?"

An honest one, I thought wryly. I wrinkled my nose at him, "Is that rhetorical? Or is there actually a twisted answer to that?"

"Depends on if you know me."

I sighed, "Does anybody know you?"

"Meaning...?"

"Appearances, impulsive conversations, first impressions; it can all be a simple case of mistaken identity. Even if you think you know someone close to you, they can surprise you. Someone you think you had worked out could be someone that you never expected."

He cocked an eyebrow sardonically, drumming his fingers on the railing, "And the grand prize for the Most Enigmatic Statement goes to..."

I nudged him flippantly with my elbow. A moment passed, and as I traced the ripples in the water with my eyes, I muttered under my breath, "Enigma. That's me in more ways than one."

"I take it that you're the mysterious outsider who's tortured and misunderstood?" he asked. When I didn't answer, he tried again. "No one knows you, huh?"

I looked at him. "Maybe no one tried to. Maybe...no one wants to."

"Maybe you're the reason that is. Maybe when people start to slip through your barriers, you grab your sniper rifle and shoot them down..."

The statement was bold, and I had a thousand retorts at hand, but I nodded my head helplessly. He was right. He'd just read me like a book, but I wasn't going to let him know it. "If you think you can just invade my personal bubble and start assuming things..."

"Hey, I wasn't assuming anything!" he interjected defensively. He soon added quietly, "You should know that it's a two way street. Give some input; see how far that takes you."

"It won't take me that far," I answered automatically.

"Explain."

"I was forced here, practically pushed on a plane by my foster father." I shook my head apathetically. "I don't even think he wants me here."

"Ouch." There was a pause. "Why?"

I lowered my gaze again, hesitating in answering. "Have you ever thought you might have been meant for something more, something that would affect a greater picture? Maybe that some greater power gave you a gift and that although you may abuse it, you're meant to do something, to save someone?"

He paused. "Whoa."

"It doesn't really matter. It's just another speed bump in my inferior existence that I can rant about in therapy later on in life."

He seemed to have recovered from my peculiar rant, and smirked, "That's the spirit."

"I just hope that I don't have to clear out again," I murmured inattentively. "I'm starting to run out of options."

"What about your parents?"

"They disappeared a long time ago."

"Oh--sorry."

I sighed. "It's okay. I was still a baby when it happened." We were silent for a moment; the only sounds were the crickets in the thicket around us, and the sounds of festivity far off. "How long?" my voice broke the silence. "How long have you lived here?"

He met my gaze promptly, murmuring, "All my life." The corners of his mouth twitched. "I guess you could refer to my family as one that's stayed in this town for generations. It's a little clichéd."

I whistled under my breath, suppressing a laugh. The fact that he had stayed put in one place for such a long time amazed me. "Question; ever wonder what it would be like to live elsewhere, away from this place?"

"Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live in one place all your life?" he shot back automatically. I fiddled with my hands, silently admitting that in fact, I had--many times. I found that I'd always wondered what my life would be like, if my parents hadn't left, if I couldn't do what I could. As I pursed my lips to add a response, a booming roar hit the air sharply and a vehicle roared to life in the distance. He sighed beside me, leaning back from the railing. "Cops alert."

Just as he uttered that, a call came from the side of the woodland. It was Erin, and she was telling me to hurry up, wavering dizzily against a tree trunk. "That's my cue to leave," I muttered, and positioning my hands firmly on the railing, deftly manoeuvred myself onto my feet.

The mysterious boy didn't alter his stance, simply glanced at me sideways. I nodded to him as I retreated back a few steps, "Au revoir, Rich Boy."

He ran his fingers through his hair, chuckling softly to himself as he began to withdraw in the opposite direction. And as I hurried off, I faintly heard him call after me, "Arrivederci, Enigma Girl."


End file.
